Flexible shaft.



Wilt/"wow e. T, BOND.

FLEXIBLE SHAFT.

APPLICATION FILED 001131. 1914.

1,157,148. Patented 001;. 19, 1915.

' awn 144 01 enonsn '17.. Bonn, or U INGTON; wnsr VIRGINIA.

' FLEXIBLE SHAFT.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GE RG'E T. BOND, a] citizen of the United States,residing at Huntington, in the county of Cabell and State of WestVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFlexiuniform throughout the length of the shaft,

' any desired length or strength.

and in which there is no frictional contact of any part of the shaftagainst any other part such as always obtains in spirally wound shafts.V r

I construct the shaft of a flat band, preferably of spring steel,twisted to obtain uniform flexibility throughout. A shaft of this natureis simple in the extreme, more economical to produceand can be made ofOther objects and advantages of the iii-- vention will hereinafterappear and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which, with the numerals of reference marked thereon,'forn1 a part ofthis specificationpand' in which Figure .1 is an elevation of a shaftconstructed in accordance with my present invention, the same beingbroken away. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of one end, of the shaft. Fig.3 isa view atright angles to Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a similar view showingone end of the shaft attached to a spindle or head. Fig. 5 is anenlarged cross section on the line 55 of Fig. 1, looking in thedirection of the arrows. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of one end of theshaft. Fig. 7 is a similar view looking at the opposite edge.

7 Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout thedifierent views.

In constructing my shaft'I take a piece of flat material, preferablyspring steel, and, by any suitable machinery or means, twist the same,giving it a uniform twist throughout its length, the" twists 1 i beingSpecification .ofietters Patent. Application filed Octdbcr 31,

1914. Seria1No.869,564.

ratenteaoet. 19.1915.

generally in the direction ofthe length of L the shaft and the endsextended axially of H the shaft, as seen at 2, to form meansv for.

attaching the shaft in the desired position. The end portions '2;may beformed with substantially square shoulders 3 -or with the roundedportions 4, as seen in Fig. 3, dispensing with the sharp corners' It isto be noted that the cross sectionsof the strip. at

all times have their centers in alinement, the twists being spiral. r

If desired, the end 2 of the shaft, may be affixed to a spindle or head5by inserting the end of the shaft within a longitudinal kerf or slot inthe end of the spindle or head and affixing it therein in any suitablemanner. It may sometimes be desirable to round-the corners of thematerial of the shaft, as seen at 6, in Fig, 5, so as to avoid sharpangles or corners.

The shaft is easily applied or attached to .any driving or drivenmechanism; it is so twisted as to insure perfect flexibility throughoutits length, which flexibilitymoreover will be uniform. It will also benoted that there is no. frictional contact of any part of the shaftagainst any other part of such shaft and that" when power is applied toone end it isimmediately transmitted to the other end, 'without loss ofpower or of time due to a process of winding up, as in the usual woundtypes of flexible shaft.

Modifications in details may be resorted to without departingfrom thespirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. p

A shaft constructed as above described can be used to connect othermembers whose axes are at an angle to each other instead of in alinementand the shaft is uniformly flexible inall directions throughout itslength.

WVhat is claimed as new is V l. A flexible shaft composed of a strip offlexible metal having a multiplicity of spiral twists, crosssections ofthe strip at all points having their centers in alinement with the edgesof the strip extending in j the direction of the length of the shaft,said shaft being uniformly flexible in all directions throughout itslength.

2. As an improved articleof manufacture tending throughout its length,cross sections a shaft composed of a flat strip of metal having amultiplicity of spiral twists ex of the strip at all times having theircenters in alinement, the edges of the strip extend ing in the directionof the length of the shaft and the material thereof-extending throughthe, axial center of theshaft, said Copies of this patent may beobtained'for five eents eaeh, iay addressing the Commissioneroi. Intent,Washington, D. 0. 7

Witnesses: V I g I M. L. HUNTINGTON, J. WM. HAGEN. Jr.

